Conventional wisdom says Democrats are aligned with Latino groups, but it didn’t feel that way Friday during a court hearing over congressional boundaries.

Attorney Mark Grueskin, who represents seven Democrats who filed suit over redistricting, opposed a motion from the Latino groups and other parties over when proposed maps of the new boundaries should be released.

The Colorado Hispanic Bar Association and the Colorado Latino Forum have joined the lawsuit filed by Republicans and Democrats over redistricting. A trial in Denver District Court is scheduled for October.

“I’m uncertain as to what the reluctance of the Democrats is at this point,” attorney Gina Rodriguez said afterward. “All our goal is, is to find out what the parties are proposing and advocating so we can take a position.”

Her firm, Faegre & Benson, is working with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund to represent the two Latino groups.

The 2010 U.S. Census showed growth in the Latino community, Rodriguez said, so any map that would “dilute the Hispanic vote or compact it would be of concern.”

Grueskin said his opposition was that Latino groups and the other parties that joined the suit wanted Democrats and Republicans to release their maps as soon as possible, but didn’t want to release their proposed congressional boundaries until a month later.

“All parties ought to disclose on the same date, whatever that date is,” Grueskin said.

In a compromise, Chief Judge Robert Hyatt ordered the major political parties to produce their proposed maps by Aug. 22. The groups that later joined the case must release theirs by Sept. 2.

Richard Westfall, who represents the Republicans in the case, said he understands where the outside parties are coming from in wanting to see the Democratic and Republican maps as soon as possible.

“They want to know if they have a real heartburn or if they don’t,” he said.

Douglas County, one of the parties that has joined the suit, is currently in the 6th Congressional District. Residents there have opposed proposals to split the county into more than one district.

Westfall said he anticipated that the proposed maps would change before and during trial.

The legislature every decade must redraw congressional boundaries to reflect population shifts. Each district must contain roughly the same number of people.

After weeks of acrimonious hearings, the 2011 legislature this year was unable to reach agreement on a new congressional map for 2012, leading to the lawsuits from Grueskin and Westfall. Each represents seven Democrats and seven Republicans, respectively, from each of the state’s seven congressional districts.

The debate

After the 2010 U.S. Census numbers were released, lawmakers from both parties began drawing up maps to reflect changes in population – and jurisdictions for lawmakers. The proposed maps have resulted in a debate between the lawmakers, because of potential voting shifts brought on by redistricting.

Conservation Colorado, a political nonprofit that advocates for environmental policies, spent more than $4.6 million -- a record for the group — to help Democrats take the levers of state government this month.

Denver police have increasingly focused curfew enforcement in Latino neighborhoods in recent years — with a special emphasis on Cinco de Mayo and other holidays — while other areas have seen much less enforcement.